Top 5 Heart-Wrenching Ed Sheeran Tracks

In honor of the world's favorite redhead releasing new music for the first time since 2014, I present to you my five favorite tear-inducing, I-need-a-pint-of-ice-cream-asap songs of the wonderful Ed Sheeran.

5. Thinking Out Loud
When I first listened to the X album, this song was one of the standouts. From the first line, Ed sings about how he will love this woman until they are very old. They won't be as active or young looking, but will still appreciate the little things that made them fall in love years ago. His lyrics make the listener want to find that same never-dying affection, and though the radio played this song to death, my non-existent future husband better prep himself to hear this at the wedding reception.

 4. Give Me Love
An immediate favorite from +, there is so much passion in this track as Ed's voice intensifies with the progression of the song. By the end, he is belting out the same line over and over - "Give me love" - and there's so much longing behind that simple repetition. On the album version, if you listen past the song, there is a bonus track tucked away at the very end called "The Parting Glass," that is simple and hauntingly beautiful.

3. Lego House

This is a classic Ed Sheeran track that I can never get sick of. The melody and lyrics are absolutely adorable. He sings about caring for a woman and doing everything in his power to make her happy and comfortable - "And if you're broken I'll mend ya, and keep you sheltered from the storm that's raging on." *swoon*



2. All Of The Stars
As the ending credits track for the movie The Fault in Our Stars, this song has caused millions of actual tears to shed onto theater seats and popcorn. It's the perfect summary for the story of two teens who fall madly in love despite the odds and their deteriorating health. Spoiler alert, the boy passes away because of cancer, and the girl must learn to keep living while holding tight to his memory and the hope of seeing him again.



1. Kiss Me
One of Ed's lesser known tracks but by far my favorite, "Kiss Me" describes that magical instant that you fall in love with someone. One particular verse gets me everytime - "I'm falling for your eyes, but they don't know me yet." I guess chances are slim that I'll hear that from any guy at happy hour this weekend...



It's still unclear when we can get our hands on the new Ed Sheeran album, but hopefully it's filled with more swoon-worthy lyrics about falling in love that average guys have virtually no chance of living up to.

New Year's Resolutions: Pop Culture Nerd Edition

It's almost the start of 2017, which means new beginnings and an overflow of Oprah Winfrey weightloss commercials. Yes, I want to be a better person and do great things like the rest of us this year, but more importantly, I'm already planning ahead for all of the music, books, movies, and shows I want to take in over the next 12 months.

Music     

• NIALL HORAN - Let's all take a deep breath because my favorite member of One Direction is releasing an ALBUM. A few months back, Niall released the single, "This Town," which was pure heaven. The simple melody and vocals suited him perfectly, and I have my fingers crossed that the album will follow a similar style. Niall recently told E! News that he's still in the writing and recording process, but "it should be coming soon."
• FALLING IN REVERSE - On a similar note, another of my favorite bands, Falling In Reverse, just released a heart-wrenching single called "Coming Home" which I can only assume means a new album is coming. The song has a different, more relaxed and futuristic vibe than most of their heavier music, which myself and other fans have come to know them for. I'm all for some chill, emotional songs, but it won't be a Falling in Reverse album without Ronnie screaming about an ex, drugs, and the general stupidity of humanity. 

Movies

• BEAUTY AND THE BEAST - It's a tale as old as time, yet I will forever love Beauty and the Beast. A real-life version of the Disney classic will be released in March, with one of my favorite actresses, Emma Watson, as Belle. Only quick clips have been released over the past few months, but we finally have a full-length trailer to hold us over until the movie officially hits theaters. 

Books

• HARRY POTTER AND THE CURSED CHILD - If there's one obsession that has stayed with me since my grade school days, it's Harry Potter. Over the summer, I got my hands on Harry Potter and The Cursed Child as soon as it hit shelves. However, it's now December and I still haven't touched it. Why? I couldn't just jump into a new Harry story after years since The Deathly Hallows. It just wouldn't seem right. So, I started from book one and am working my way through the series. It's been years since I read them, and the story still holds the same excitement and magic as when I was a kid (as does my undying love for Malfoy). Hopefully The Cursed Child doesn't disappoint.
• GAME OF THRONES - A few months ago, I powered through every season of Game of Thrones and fell in love with everything from the theme song to the million storylines to keep track of. After consulting with several friends about the book series and getting mixed reviews, I decided to give them a try. These will need to wait until after Harry Potter, but I can already see they may very well take until 2018 to finish....talk about small print!

Television

• BEYOND - Every year, Freeform (previously ABC Family) launches a few new series. Some stick like Pretty Little Liars while most fizzle out after one or two seasons. The station is premiering Beyond on January 2nd, and it seems like something I can easily get hooked on. The plot of the show focuses on a guy named Holden who wakes up from a coma after 12 years and needs to figure out what happened to him. In typical Freeform fashion, I'm sure there will be some love interests and sketchy people who you know from the first episode had SOMETHING to do with the coma.

So, if you need me in 2017, I will be binging all of the above while working on my abs and trying to mentally curse out less people on the subway. Happy New Year!

2017 = Concerts Galore

If there's one thing I don't mind spending money on, it's concert tickets.

"$10 for a sweater? Ehhhh gotta think about it..."
"$50 to see my favorite band? *lunges for debit card*"

Since I was a kid, I've always loved the thrill of a concert. My dad took me to my first show when I was about eight to see Shania Twain, and I became obsessed with the excitement of seeing and hearing my favorite artists in person. Over the years, I saw huge productions from artists like Britney Spears, and also gained an appreciation for smaller venues. Standing so close to David Cook at World Live Cafe that he could hear audience members breathing was a surreal experience.

I've managed to keep the passion for concerts alive, and in the span of a day, I recently bought tickets to two shows in 2017 that I'm pretty hype for.

On January 28th, I will be seeing for the third time one of my absolute favorite bands, Falling in Reverse, which features my "tattoo man" Ronnie Radke as the lead singer. FIR will be at The Fillmore in Philly, which I've been to several times and STILL get lost trying to find their parking lot.



I first saw Falling in Reverse at the Electric Factory last Thanksgiving break, and though it was my first concert that involved mosh pits and crowd surfers, it was an amazing night. I've idolized Ronnie since I learned about his story of getting sober and fighting his way back into the music industry. He's one of the best live performers I've ever witnessed, and I can't wait to see what kind of show he's going to put on - he's been posting tons of cryptic pictures on Instagram, which are hopefully foreshadowing some new music!

The beginning of the end

A photo posted by Ronnie Radke (@ronnieradke) on Nov 22, 2016 at 5:37pm PST

On February 13th aka an awkward Monday night, I'll be heading to TLA for my second Jake Miller concert. I first heard about Jake when he randomly followed me on Twitter a few years back. After checking out his profile (and seeing how attractive he is), I listened to his music and was immediately hooked. He's a cross between pop, R&B, and rap and has a slightly younger fan base called the Miller-tary (get it??).

I had the extremely cool opportunity to do a phone interview with him for my college's newspaper, and though he was in the middle of a crowded mall being swarmed by fans, he was the nicest guy and took the time to talk about his music, touring, and how he's lost track of how many hats he owns.

Seeing Jake has become a sort of tradition for my one friend and I. One year, we waited several hours in the bitter cold to meet him at an album signing, and had to take turns standing next to the heater at a nearby bank. We then waited about six hours in the scorching heat a few months later to get a good spot in line for another of his TLA concerts. He puts on a really good show, and I'm excited to see him perform some of his new music from "Overnight."



Check out the dates for both shows below!

Fallinginreverse.com

A photo posted by Ronnie Radke (@ronnieradke) on Nov 30, 2016 at 10:44am PST

Welcome to #TheOvernightTour. Tix on sale Friday! Bringing my boys @maxgschneider and @spencermusic1! All I want for my bday today is for you to come and have the best night of your life with me. Tag a million friends 🎉

A photo posted by Jake Miller (@jakemiller) on Nov 28, 2016 at 8:59am PST

Obsession of the Week - Pentatonix

One night after an exceptionally long day at work, I was watching some music videos on NickMusic. After one forgettable pop song after the next, my mind was drifting elsewhere until one line caught my attention...

"I've heard there was a secret chord, that David played and it pleased the Lord..."

"Hallelujah" has always been one of my favorite songs since I first heard it in Shrek as a kid. Over the years, endless people have covered it, but this version by the acapella band, Pentatonix, was different.

I always enjoyed listening to Pentatonix around the holidays, and that was it...until this song. The video is simple but captivating. It starts off with one of the lead vocalists, Scott Hoying, singing the first verse and staring into your soul through the camera. Each member then follows suit and crushes each of their own solos. Meanwhile, Kevin Olusola makes it sound like there's an entire drum section behind the band using only his voice and body.

Hands down, the best part of the song is Mitch Grassi's solo towards the end. His voice is absolutely beautiful and managed to give me goosebumps the higher he sang.



Over the next week, I listened to the song any chance I got - before work, before bed, before going out. etc. My dad quickly jumped on the Pentatonix train as well, and also had the video on repeat. One night, inspiration struck - the band was going to be in Philly on Sunday, Nov 13th, so I offered to take him as an early Christmas present. After the shock of my offer wore off, he was all for it and I purchased tickets within the hour.

Pentatonix was quite possibly one of the best groups I've seen live. It was easy to forget that there wasn't a live band behind them because you still felt that thump in your chest from Kevin's percussions and Avi's insanely deep voice. They sang everything from Michael Jackson to Justin Bieber, and threw in a few original songs like "Sing."

Pentatonix live at Liacouras Center in Philadelphia Nov 13th
From L to R - Kirstin Maldonado, Kevin Olusola, Scott Hoying, Avi Kaplan, Mitch Grassi

Towards the end of the show, they mentioned the great Leonard Cohen, and the entire crowd went nuts because "Hallelujah" was finally next. It sounded even better than the record and tiny Mitch with his enormous voice managed to bring out the goosebumps once again.

As part of their encore, they sang the eerie "Light in the Hallway" but took it a step further. The entire arena was asked to not make a sound, while Pentatonix huddled in the center of the stage and performed the song without microphones. They sounded exceptionally beautiful, and managed to keep hundreds of people engaged with just pure, raw talent. 

Their Christmas album, A Pentatonix Christmas, is out now and they'll also have their own NBC special on December 14th. Only 29 days away?? Let the countdown begin. 

Niall's New Direction

When Zayn quit One Direction, I was (for lack of a better term) a mess. Yes, I was in college at the time and not some hormonal teenager. But when the band whose music got me through endless hours of commuting, calmed my nerves before my very first job interview, and made me crack up after a long day with their stupid video diaries on YouTube, I was bound to take it pretty hard.

To my surprise, the remaining four kept going. I got to see them in concert yet again, and openly fan-girl over their album Made in the A.M., which was just as good and possibly even more creative than any of their previous albums.

However, all good things must come to an end, and Harry, Liam, Louis, and Niall went on a hiatus for an unspecified amount of time. While most fans panicked, I was okay with the whole thing - just look at bands like Green Day. They can go five years without touring, recording, or having fans knowing what they're up to, then come back with music that's better than ever.

So far during the break, each member has started to branch out and work on his own project. Louis and his son Freddie are cuter than ever. Liam just signed a recording contract with Republic Records. Harry is doing random photo shoots and embracing his inner sixties hippie with a brand new hair cut. And finally, in the midst of various golf sessions, Niall just dropped a new single out of NOWHERE that is pure perfection.

"This Town" suits Niall to a tee. While he was never the 1D member to belt out high notes and falsettos, he held his own with a strong but sweet voice. The song has a simple melody and a catchy guitar rhythm, which is what always showcased him on the band's albums in songs like "Don't Forget Where You Belong" and "Change My Mind."



In a recent interview with Ryan Seacrest, Niall talked about how he's working on a FULL album, that will have a very similar vibe to "This Town" with more soft melodies and acoustics. Even though the album is not quite finished, I'll be camping outside my local Target waiting for it to be released if anyone needs me...

Green Day - Even Better With Age

Every morning before going to middle school, I would eat my Frosted Flakes and watch music videos on MTV. One particular morning, I stopped dead in my tracks, spoon in one hand, backpack in the other. There was this dark haired, tattooed man on my television screen singing something about walking alone and a boulevard. I was immediately drawn in to this band, who looked so unlike anything that I was listening to at the time *insert cute, blonde boy band members here.* Thus began my love of Green Day.

Fast forward 12 years and a few albums later, I'm driving in torrential rain after working from 4:00am on a Saturday to pick up their newest release in several years, Revolution Radio. Did I feel like getting drenched? No. Did I know it would be completely worth it? Yup.

Revolution Radio is everything that I could've asked and more for new Green Day music. It has that 21st Century Breakdown political, angsty vibe, but with a more punk feel, much like their early work on Dookie.

While the whole album is freaking amazing, there's a select few songs that I've been listening to about 20 times a day since the release on October 7th:

"Bouncing Off The Wall"
This song......SO CATCHY! It's been a little while since I've gotten so excited over a song, but when I heard the first verse, I literally squealed like a teen girl because it was just SO good. While the lyrics talk about Satan, bombs, and idle threats, the melody makes you want to blast it in your car on a sunny day with the windows down, which is simply genius on their part.

"Ordinary World"
Two weeks ago, I saw Green Day live at the Tower Theater in Philadelphia as part of their small venue tour. After the supposed encore of "American Idiot," only Billie Joe walked back on stage with his acoustic guitar. With no introduction, he starts singing this song, and it was such a perfect and intimate moment with the crowd. Fans were screaming and carrying on around me, but I was so entranced by his performance and delivery of the lyrics, it was like they weren't even there. "What would you wish if you saw a shooting star in an ordinary world?" Ugh, perfect.

"Still Breathing"
This is one of the few songs that I heard before the full album when they released a lyric video for it. Much like "Ordinary World," the lyrics are extremely inspiring and something that I can relate to at this point in my life. "Just shine a light into the wreckage, so far away..." Even though we may be going through some difficult times and hardships, we're still alive and there's always a light trying to break through the darkness. When it comes to life struggles, Green Day gets it.



As if this wonderful masterpiece of an album wasn't enough of a treat, Billie Joe is starring in a movie called "Ordinary World" (I'm going to assume the song is in the soundtrack...) which hits theaters Friday, October 14th. Unlike his extremely cool and still attractive true self, Billie Joe will be playing a washed up rocker trying to get his life back together. If his acting is even 1/5 as good as his musical talent, we're in for a treat.

How I Found Myself at Warped Tour 2016

Let's rewind to a few ago in the awkward high school days. I had braces and was primping my side bangs to be juuuust right to meet Justin Bieber at a Jingle Ball concert. Never in a million years did I see myself in the middle of a moshing crowd at Warped Tour. But that's just where I ended up yesterday and I had the time of my life.

Ever since I can remember, I've loved all the pop stars - N*Sync, Jesse McCartney, Bieber. Yet in 6th grade, I discovered Green Day. My dad bought me "American Idiot" as long as I promised I'd stay away from drugs and not turn into a gothic weirdo. I continued to obsess over all the pretty boys, but behind the scenes, my love for heavier music (and tattooed men) grew stronger.

Over the years, I discovered bands like All Time Low and We the Kings, and felt more at home with music than I ever did before. About a year ago, some friends introduced me to Sleeping With Sirens and Pierce the Veil, and I instantly related to songs like "Go Go Go" and "King for a Day." History was made when I randomly clicked on a YouTube video of a song called "The Drug in Me Is You."

Falling in Reverse? Ronnie who? Oh, I like his voice. Bad Girls Club? OH this is catchy......

Summer of 2015 was consumed by the task of finding a post-grad job, all the while watching FIR videos in between cover letters. "F*** the Rest" soon became my life anthem - "and I know in my heart if you reach for the stars, all the things that you dream will indeed get you far" - and surprisingly, I learned a lot about life from Ronnie Radke, like how you can get your life together and make dreams happen no matter what you've been through and where you're coming from.

Fast forward one year, and Ronnie's picture is proudly hanging in my cubicle (much to the concern of my middle-aged coworkers) at my first big girl job. Still just as inspired by him as 12 months ago, I knew I had to attend Vans Warped Tour this year when I saw that FIR would be there. After some planning, my friends and I decided that we would adventure from Philly to Long Island, NY to go.

After almost 3 hours driving, my 1st official NJ bagel, and only getting slightly lost once, we arrived. I knew the day was going to be different and exciting just from the line to get in, with some guy selling sunglasses so fans wouldn't get "face f**ked" by the sun.

We immediately found the giant wall schedule to plan our day and figure out when/where each band was performing. Ronnie wouldn't be on until 5PM so there was plenty of time to work around that.

Kellin Quinn - Sleeping With Sirens

Throughout the day, I got to see We The Kings, Against The Current, and another of my top bands, Sleeping With Sirens. SWS was my 1st experience of the day dodging crowd surfers and enduring screaming fans. I'm used to One Direction and Bieber fans, but this was a whole new level. One girl next to me was SCREAMING at the top of her lungs how much of a "sexy beast" Kellin Quinn is. And while I completely agree with her, the ear drums of everyone around her begged to differ. Though when he sang "Go Go Go," I may just have been louder than her.

Around 1PM, we heard that Falling in Reverse was doing a photo op at their tent at 1:30PM. That's all I needed to hear. My friends and I booked it to the tent, only to find out you needed some sort of minuscule red ticket to meet them. We were kind of bummed, but decided to hang around. Even if we couldn't get a picture with Ronnie, we could get some sick shots of him from two feet away, which is exactly what we did.

I think my love for him grew even more yesterday. While waiting in line, I see Ronnie flying through the parking lot on a bicycle. He stops by the fence near his tent (he was on the other side), gets off the bike, then spends a solid few minutes looking completely lost, trying to figure out how to get through the fence with said bike. Finally he gives up and rides away, leaving the poor guy at the merch table to let us know he'll be "fashionably late".....get it??

Ronnie Radke - Falling in Reverse

About 10 minutes later, Ronnie arrives, and I got some amazing pictures of him in between meeting those lucky fans with the stupid red tickets. All the while, my friends and I are still in line, hoping against hope that we can just float through and meet him anyway. Sadly with about 3 people in front of us, the time for the meet and greet was over and Ronnie was out. But I couldn't even be mad...just look at him!!

Even though FIR wasn't performing until 5PM, we were at the stage and ready to go by 4PM, We stood in the back while Yellowcard performed, and the second they were done their set, we powered though the crowd, almost making it to the front barrier.

Despite getting kicked about 20 times and aching shoulders from lifting crowd surfers, I had the time of my life watching Ronnie. He is one of the best live performers I've ever seen, and being that close was an extra bonus. He sang all FIR's hits, including "Alone," "Rolling Stone" (and yes, I belted out the rap part), "Bad Girls Club," and "The Drug in Me is You."

By 5:30PM, I was ready for an Advil and shower, but was so content with life. I saw in person the guy who I'd been listening to non-stop for the past year, and who had inspired me during a pretty difficult and confusing time. Warped Tour wouldn't have been the same without Falling in Reverse, but even if they're not there next year, I'd do it all over again.

Ronnie Radke at Vans Warped Tour - Nikon Theater at Jones Beach
(and a security guard who was not having anymore of the crowd's sh*t)

American Idol Finale: Best Moments

"We say goodbye...for now."

Ryan Seacrest closed the finale of American Idol with those few simple words, causing every household in the country to question what the heck he meant. After months of build up of how this was the last season EVER, he left us hanging just like before every commercial break for 15 years.

As an avid fan since day one, I was thrilled this might not be the end. January just wouldn't be the same without the enjoyment of horrible auditions. But whether the show comes back in one year or ten, they ended this season with a bang.

First off, this was a better final two than they've had in years. Trent Harmon and LaPorsha could sing circles around some contestants from recent seasons. I have to say, I was pretty bitter that Dalton Rapattoni finished third. His elimination was happening just as I walked in the door last Wednesday, so it took about 10 minutes of screaming at the TV before I even took my jacket off. Hands down, he was best performer of the season, and not bad to look at either.

Days before the finale, I was telling anyone who would listen that they should bring back as many past contestants as they could. Idol must have heard me because they didn't disappoint. This was the first season where they didn't do corny weekly group numbers, but they made up for this in one night. And I loved every second of it.

Past winners and Top 12 contestants all came together to create some interesting yet unforgettable performances. Guests included everyone from Justin Guarini and Ruben Studdard to David Cook and Jordan Sparks. William Hung even ran out on stage, much to the surprise of Ryan Seacrest, to sing his anthem "She Bangs."

One of the highlights of the show was a medley by the Idol who inspired all the rest, Kelly Clarkson. Her segment was filmed a few weeks earlier when she guest judged, since she was set to have her baby at the time of the finale. She sang hit after hit, and ended the performance with the Idol classic, "A Moment Like This." Absolute chills.

The dream team of the original three judges also made an appearance. If you've followed the show since the beginning, it was exciting and even emotional to see Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, and Randy Jackson together again on the Idol stage. Apparently, they weren't expecting Simon to make it, so that was a much welcomed surprise for everyone. Looking back, it's crazy to hear some of the harsh comments he said to contestants, but Idol would not be the same with him and his brutal honesty.

After 15 years of memories jam packed into two hours, Trent Harmon was crowned as the final American Idol (for now!). I think most people, including the judges, assumed that LaPorsha would win. She received constant positive feedback and her would-be single "Battles" had a much more Idol finale sound to it than Trent's "Falling." But Trent deserved it. He battled mono all through Hollywood week and improved his voice and performance every single round.

After Ryan's infamous "We say goodbye, for now," the Dolby Theater went pitch black. As someone who has so many childhood memories from the show - meeting the Season 10 contestants with my dad, screaming at the television when Chris Daughtry went home instead of Taylor Hicks - I hope Idol comes back soon, revamped and stronger than ever.

Grammy's 2016: Best Moments

Last night, I nestled in front of the TV for three and a half hours of music, fame, and much deserved recognition. As usual, the 2016 Grammy Awards did not disappoint - there were unbelievable performances, touching tributes, and of course, the yearly beef between two stars.

It's safe to say that one particular female dominated the night - Taylor Swift. First, she kicked off the show with an intense performance of "Out of the Woods," powering down the stage in a stunning, glittery pants outfit.

But the first five minutes weren't the end for her. Taylor received "Album of the Year," one of the most coveted awards, for "1989." While her win wasn't that surprising, her speech definitely was. She spoke about how females need to take credit for their accomplishments. Men will try to take the spotlight away, but they must stay strong while fighting for their dreams.

At a first listen, it's a very touching, empowering speech. Dig a little deeper, and it's clear she was referring to the wonderful Kanye West and the lyric in his new song - "I feel like me and Taylor might still have sex/Why? I made that b**ch famous." Lovely, right? Props to Taylor for standing up for all her hard work.

Possibly my favorite performance of the night was surprisingly, Hollywood Vampires. I'm not too familiar with Alice Cooper, but I love Johnny Depp. From Edward Scissorhands to Sweeny Todd, we've seen Depp in all sorts of makeup and costumes. But in my opinion, he never looked better than at the Grammy's, with his tattoos and guitar *insert swoon face here.* It should go without saying, he was one of the most talented artists in the room last night. The guy can literally do it all.

Justin Bieber had a great night, winning his first every Grammy award and performing the song that got him back on the charts, "Where Are You Now" with Skrillex and Diplo. After Adele's snoozefest of a performance, Bieber was a breath of fresh air. His voice was on point, he had a ton of energy, and wore the sharpest cheetah print jacket. I was probably the only female in America who was sad when he took it off...

This was a solid year for the Grammy's. Lady Gaga paid tribute to her idol David Bowie, Sam Smith looked cooler than ever with his weightloss and newfound beard, and The Weekend slayed the stage with his flawless vocals. But the best part? Taylor giving it right back to Kanye. 

Goodbye to 1D (for now!), hello to Zayn.

Last week was a roller coaster for One Direction fans. They're still recovering from the band's current hiatus, the birth of Louis Tomlinson's son Freddie, and rumors that the hiatus is actually a breakup. Throw in their most emotional video to date, plus Zayn's first solo video, and fans may just combust.

On Tuesday, January 26, the band released the video for their song "History." The song itself hints at the hiatus, ensuring fans that "this is not the end" and "we can live forever." Touching, right? This is nothing compared to the video.

As a self-proclaimed directioner since the pre-tattoo days of polo shirts and varsity jackets, I felt overwhelmed within two seconds of the video. The group stands on the XFactor stage looking like absolute babies as Simon Cowell smiles up from his seat, moments after creating One Direction. Knowing what would become of these guys who hardly knew each other is enough to give anyone chills.

The video goes on to show clips of their career - the boys waving to fans, performing sold out concerts, and just being the goofballs that the world fell in love with over the past five years.



A very welcome treat (besides Niall's new glasses) is Zayn's inclusion in the video clips. He was a huge part in the band's success, so it only makes sense that he's shown....whether he actually liked the music they made or not.

Ironically enough, Zayn dropped his first solo song and video for "Pillowtalk" only three days later. Coincidence? Who knows. But it got people talking.

The song is unlike anything he did with 1D. As the name hints, it's about sex - something that many 1D songs touched on but in a family-friendly way. (What did you think "tonight let's get some and live while we're young" meant??)

I didn't know what to expect with Zayn's solo career. Out of all the 1D members, he was by far my favorite singer. At the end of each track, I could always count on him to go crazy with the high notes and runs. I was routing for him to be successful after he left the band, but I wasn't sure I'd enjoy his style of music.

After staying up until midnight on Friday to take a first listen, I was pleasantly surprised. Yes, it's different and more R&B, but it still has a touch of pop to it, much like the route Nick Jonas has taken since leaving the Jonas Brothers.

The music video is a bit much, full of mostly naked shots of Zayn's girlfriend, Gigi Hadid, However, it does tie in perfectly with the song's theme, whether fans want to admit it or not.



While I can't speak for all One Direction fans, I'm happy for both the remaining four boys and Zayn.

Niall, Harry, Louis, and Liam managed to revamp their sound and create "Made in the AM," something that is just as good (or better) than anything that came before. Zayn realized what kind of music he's passionate about, and did something about it.

Whether they all end up having solo careers or if Louis becomes a soccer dad driving Freddie to practice, I'll support my boys no matter where they go.